Drilling metrics improved slightly across the board in June, yet year-to-date projects and drillholes remained on the decline. Month over month, reported projects and drillholes were both up 4%, and companies reporting up 3%. Late-stage projects (113 projects) dropped to account for 44% of the projects reporting, down from 56%. Early-stage projects (107 projects) leaped to 42% and minesite (37 projects) assets reporting drilling rose slightly to 14% of the total projects.

The 2026 year-to-date totals for drilled projects and drillholes were broadly in line with those recorded over the past two years. Although gold and silver projects reporting were above 2024 and 2025 levels, and specialty metals reporting recovered slightly. Weaker base metal activity dragged down the overall year-to-date total.

The number of unique drillholes reported year to date fell year over year, despite gold drillholes at a four-year high. The year-to-date total for specialty metals has steadily declined since 2023, and base/other metals has dropped to the lowest year-to-date total since 2020.

Access the June 2026 drill results data in the accompanying Excel spreadsheet.

Gold projects reporting in June were up 2% month over month at 153, with drillholes at a five-month high. Year-to-date, the total for projects was close to reaching 2023 levels, while drillholes were at a four-year high for the yellow metal.

Base/other metals projects rose 14% month over month, while drillholes fell 24%, an eight-month low. Despite increases in copper, lead-zinc and nickel projects reporting, all metals in the group decreased in drillholes for June. The largest drillhole decreases for the group came from Australia, Zambia and Morocco, despite the two African countries experiencing significant increases in May.

Drilled projects for specialty commodities dipped 8%, while drillholes decreased 14%, a seven-month low. The reported drillhole decline in June was mostly due to lithium and uranium decreases in Canada and the US, and titanium decreases in Australia.

Australia continued to lead in projects reporting drilling, with 1,945 drillholes at 79 projects. Canada trailed with 567 drillholes at 66 projects, while the US remained in third with 186 drillholes at 26 projects. Despite Côte d'Ivoire having 200 drillholes and Zimbabwe having 186, both fell behind the US, as to their drillholes came from only four projects and one project, respectively.

The top two results come from the same projects as last month. June's top result came from Australian Securities Exchange-listed Aldoro Resources Ltd.'s Kameelburg early-stage lanthanides project in Namibia. The company reported an intercept of 543 meters grading 1.4% total rare earth oxides (TREO), 0.2% niobium, 4.08% strontium and 0.03% molybdenum. The result is the project's best drillhole to date and marks the completion of its Phase II program. An updated mineral resource estimate will be released imminently.

The second-best result came from Toronto Stock Exchange-listed NGEx Minerals Ltd.'s Lunahuasi early-stage copper project in Argentina. The company reported an intercept of 1,540 meters grading 0.79% copper, 0.39 grams of gold per metric ton and 11.3 g/mt silver. Phase 4 program at Lunahuasi was completed in April, with Phase 5 set to commence in the December quarter, with key targets being formed from results such as this one.

TSX-listed DPM Metals Inc.'s Chelopech gold mine in Bulgaria rounded out June's top three results. The company reported an intercept of 713 meters grading 1.31 g/mt gold and 1.16% copper. This result comes from a new discovery, the Brevene South Porphyry, a high-grade gold-copper porphyry approximately 1 km from the existing mineral reserves.

ASX-listed Regis Resources Ltd. topped the list of companies with the most reported drillholes, totaling 522 at three gold properties: McPhillamys in New South Wales, and Duketon Southern Operations and Tropicana (30% Regis Resources, 70% AngloGold Ashanti PLC) in Western Australia. Regis Resources reports exploration works on a half-year basis, accounting for the gap between its numbers compared to Caledonia Mining Corp. PLC, which came in with the second-highest number of drillholes with 186 at its Motapa gold project in Zimbabwe.